Bertha's Favorites

Tools: Working Wood in Eighteenth-Century AmericaBy: James M. Gaynor, Nancy L. Hagedorn
ISBN-10: 0879350989 ISBN-13: 978-0879350987
This is a really interesting book telling and illustrating for us the history of woodworking tools in America (and Europe since it was where it came from).The author’s document in a interesting way how the tools were traded, sold and show us selected tools of each period.It is a orgy of wonderful old tools, tool boxes, tool chest’s and paintings, and throu...

First things first, some full disclosure. I am a “Frequent Flyer” when it comes to Shark Guards, I am on my 3rd Shark Guard, my first was an early model with a 2” port, the second, a 10.4 (4” port model) and now the SGK-1 with 4” port. Lee Styron, the owner of The Lee Way Workshop, and maker of the Shark Guard is also a long term contributing member of one of the forums I moderate on, and Lee gave me a good discount on this buy due to the above factors. I am howe...

NOTE: The G1006 mill and the G1007 mill are EXACTLY THE SAME MILL. The G1007 has the addition of an X axis power feed. So this review applies for both.
First off I generally like this machine. The few problems I’ve found can be worked around or are just fit/finish pet peeves. Yes it’s intended as a mettle working machine. But I bought it specifically for precision cutting wooden mechanical parts. So mine is a woodworking machine ;). If you’re upgrading from a drill pre...

Japanese handsaws are quite popular nowadays so I thought I’d introduce those who may not be familiar, to a saw which I was offered last year.It is an ooga saw (?? in Japanese, pronounced Oh-ga, it means literally “big saw”)This saw was designed to rip logs into planks and, just like the western pit saw, has seen its use being reduced to almost nothing during the 20th century. It was the tool of choice from the 15th century to about 1950.
The Ooga saw is large and hea...